Imminent danger.

I now made the two men retire behind some neighbouring rocks, which formed a kind of protecting parapet along our front and right flank, whilst I took post on the left.  Both my barrels were now exhausted; and I desired the other two to fire separately, whilst I was reloading; but to my horror, Coles, who was armed with my rifle, reported hurriedly that the cloth case with which he had covered it for protection against rain had become entangled.  His services were thus lost at a most critical moment whilst trying to tear off the lock cover; and the other man was so paralysed with fear that he could do nothing but cry out, “Oh, God!  Sir, look at them; look at them!”

In the meantime our opponents pressed more closely round; their spears kept whistling by us, and our fate seemed inevitable.  The light coloured man, spoken of at the camp, now appeared to direct their movements.  He sprang forward to a rock not more than thirty yards from us and, posting himself behind it, threw a spear with such deadly force and aim that, had I not drawn myself forward by a sudden jerk, it must have gone through my body, and as it was it touched my back in flying by.  Another well-directed spear, from a different hand, would have pierced me in the breast, but, in the motion I made to avoid it, it struck upon the stock of my gun, of which it carried away a portion by its force.

All this took place in a few seconds of time, and no shot had been fired but by me.  I now recognized in the light-coloured man an old enemy who had led on the former attack against me on the 22nd of December.  By his cries and gestures he now appeared to be urging the others to surround and press on us, which they were rapidly doing.

Fall of the native chief.

I saw now that but one thing could be done to save our lives, so I gave Coles my gun to complete the reloading, and took the rifle which he had not yet disengaged from the cover.  I tore it off and, stepping out from behind our parapet, advanced to the rock which covered my light-coloured opponent.  I had not made two steps in advance when three spears struck me nearly at the same moment, one of which was thrown by him.  I felt severely wounded in the hip, but knew not exactly where the others had struck me.  The force of all knocked me down, and made me very giddy and faint, but as I fell I heard the savage yells of the natives’ delight and triumph; these recalled me to myself, and, roused by momentary rage and indignation, I made a strong effort, rallied, and in a moment was on my legs; the spear was wrenched from my wound, and my haversack drawn closely over it, that neither my own party nor the natives might see it, and I advanced again steadily to the rock.  The man became alarmed and threatened me with his club, yelling most furiously; but as I neared the rock behind which all but his head and arm was covered he fled towards an adjoining one, dodging dexterously, according to the native manner of confusing an assailant and avoiding the cast of his spear; but he was scarcely uncovered in his flight when my rifle ball pierced him through the back between the shoulders, and he fell heavily on his face with a deep groan.